Railway signaling apparatus.



No. 892,204. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

M. W. ZABEL. RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1907.

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RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1907.

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No. 892,204. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

' M. W. ZABEL. A

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 21;.13, 1907.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR MM MW MAX W.ZABEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30,.1'008.

Application filed April 13, 1907. :Serial No. 368,026.

have invented a certain new and useful Im-' provement in Railway Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to railway signaling apparatus and has for its object the provision of improved signals so that the entire rightof-wa of a railroad is directly under the control o the despatcher.

A railway system is usually divided into train despatchers sections which may be about one hundred miles lon and one de spatcher has charge of the routing of trains in said division. I provide a s stem wherein signals are to be placed alongt eright-of-way of said despatchers section, and means to operate any one of said signals without operating the other, thus ermitting the train des atcher to set a anger signal anywhere a ong his right-of-way, and prevent trains from entering a supposed dangerous zone along his section.

I will explain my invention more in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings forming part of this a plication in which Figure 1 is a genera view outlining my sys tem; Fig. 2 isa detailed view of the sub-station apparatus as employed in one of the blocks of said right of way; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the central station operating mechanism.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the different figures.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown a s stem of signals which I dIS tribute along t e right-of-way' of a railroad track, the railroad track bein graphically represented by the rails 1 an 2. I have shown the right-of-way divided into eight blocks respectively a 6 011 cf 9 and it. Each block is controlled by a signal or set of si nals which signal. or set of signals is operated independently of the sigma or set of signals in any one of the o'ther'blocks in this same section. A part of the operating mechanism at each sub-station comprises a relay 3 and another relay 4 which relays are both connected in parallel so that should one relay fail 'to operatethe other can be depended upon to res ond. I have found in practice that these current from the battery 13.

relays do operate successfully but two are provided to overcome any liability there might be of failure to operate on the art of one of the relays. I am enabled t us to operate duplicate signal operating devices by reason of my improved control of said signal operating devices from the central station which in this instance is in the train despatchers ofiice,

I havediagramm'atically indicated at 'i the central station in Fig. 1. is connected to the various slab-station signaling apparatuses byline wires k and Z. I will first describe in detail the operation of one of the signals and its associated mechanism by. referring more articularly to Fig. 2. I have shown in this figure three target signals 5, 6 and 7 although a greater or lesser number of targets may be used in one block, which block I have re resented as shown by the rails 1 and 2 in t is figure, which block may be considered to have an average length of about five miles. The number of targets provided in a given block'would depend naturally on the-natural obstructions to vision in said block. If there are many curves there should be man target signals a general lan to be adopted eing that at any point a ong the right-of-way in the block, one of the signals may be in sight of the train cre'w so that the train crew can at all times be si naled from the despatchers ofiice; As efore stated all the signals in one block preferably operate simultaneously.

Each target signal has a visual target 8 which is fastened by means of a suitable chain or otherwise to a rotatable armature 9 which rotatable armature when it is in its horizontal or o erated position draws said target 8 behind the bullse e 10 and displays a red or danger signal. hen the armature 9 is in its normal position as shown in the illustration the'signal shows clear. To operate the armature 9 I rovide suitable pole pieces 11 11 which po pieces are magnetized by suitable coils 12 when rovided-with provide upon The central station the chain 14 of the signal 6 a suitable contact lever 15 which engages a spring 16 and when signal 6 is operated sprin 16 is in closed circuit with spring 17 en the target 8 of the signal 6 is in its lower or clear positionspring 16 en ages spring 18 for purposes to be described ereinafter. The actuation of the signals in a block is primaril accomplished when the relay 19 is actuate I will describe first how the actuation of the relay 19 eiiects this 0 eration. Assume that one impulse is given y the relay 19 as would be the case if current flowed through said relay to the ground which current is to be furnished from the central station, then the local a paratus at this sub-station will operate as ollows: Armature 20 is drawn u and current passes from the positive pole 0 battery 13 through contact spring 18, contact spring 16, armature 20, relay 21, through the operating coils 12 of the signals 5, 6 and 7, by means of the line Wire 22, thence to line wire 23 and back to the negative pole of the battery 13 over local wire 24. Thus all of the armatures 9 rotate into their horizontal or danger position. This moves the contact 16 from engagement with spring 18 into engagement with spring 17 and current now passes from the positive pole of battery 13 through armature 25 through the relay 21 to the line wire 22 thus lockin the battery current to the line wires 22 an; 23 and thus holding the armatures 9 in a horizontal position. Now

ifa second impulse is sent over the relay 19 25 and '20 return to their normal position.

Of course the armatures 9 are slow acting and therefore contact at spring 18 is not made for a short while, or at any rate not untilthe impulse through relay 19 has subsided. It will thus beseen that a momentary impulse of the relay 19 one of which is provided at each of the signals 6 throughout the section, oneof which slgnals 6 is provided in each block, said signals 5, 6 and 7 in the particular block Whose relay 19 is attracted will be set at danger and a second impulse of the relay 19 will restore the signals to their normal osition. The eight relays 19 are selective y actuated as I will describe more in detail, that is, I am enabled by means 'of my improved system to operate the relay 19 in either one of the blocks from a to h without disturbing the corresponding relay 19 in either one of the other blocks, thus each block is independently under the control of the despatcher at the-station 'i. As the two relays corresponding to the relays 3 and 4 in sub-station a operate simultaneously or at least are arranged for such operation, I Will describe this selective operation of the relay 19 in connection with merely one of said relays 3. I have not indicated the relays 19 in the accompanying drawing of Fig. 1, but said.

relays are connected uniformly by the Wire 26 through the winding of said relay 19 to ground as indicated more in detail in Fig. 2. Corresponding to the relay 3 of station a seaaoa there are similar relays 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 for the stations I), c, d, e, g and h re spectively. Said relays are po arized'lso that they are responsive to positive battery current and negative battery current depending upon the direction of their winding. I make use of this feature in the operation of the system.

The system is arranged in order to get an eight station selective signaling system in such a manner that relays 3 and 30 are both connected between the line wire is and ground through the inter osition of a suitable impedance coil 34. oth relays 3 and 30 operate when positive current is projected over the wire is to ground. Relays 28 and 32 are also connected between the same line wire k and ground and will operate when negative battery ourrentis impressed on wire is to ground. Relays 27 and 31 are both connected between line wire Zand ground, and operate when a positive current is impressed on line wire Z to ground. Relays 29 and 33 are also connected between line wire Z and .either line wires 7c or Z that two relays operate, thus, depending upon the connection of the battery current, a selection of four blocks is already obtained. Now, however, when either group of two relays operates, the relay 19 at the various stations is connected se' lectively, so as to get a further selection of any particular one of said group of two. This is done, as I will explain in connection with stations a and e. For instance when the relays 3 and 30 operate they close the circuit through two relays 19, that is, a relay 19 at station a and a relay 19 at station 6, but the relay 19 at station a is connected by said relay 3 between the line wire Z to ground which is a different conductor from the one 6 the relay 19 is connected by said relay 30 between the line conductor to ground.

Now to operate the particular relay 19 which it is desired to operate, that is, either the one at station a or the one at station e, I provide referably an alternating current at the sending station i, which, when this battery current is connected as stated, can be connected either to the line Wire 7c or the line wire Z thus to operate either the relay 19 at station a or the relay 19 at station 6, which said relay 19 only 0 erates with alternating current and prefera ly not with direct current; Thus, to surn'up this system any time battery current ispro ected over either wire In or Z two relays operate, which relays close the circuit through a second relay, and the desired selection of either one of the second relays is obtained by having alternating our- 'nects either vated to se ectively signal an rent either on line wire I or on line wire Z. This same principle is carried out through the remaining stations, and thus a selective signal can be conveyed to one of eight blocks depending upon the connection of the battery'current and the suitable connection of the alternating current.

Condensers 35 are connected in series with relays 19 where they are on the same line wire as their associated first relays to revent passage through said relays 19 of attery current. It will be apparent that in the stations e f g and it they are operated when both battery current and alternating current are simultaneously on the same line wire. Now when alternating current and direct, or in this case, continuous current are on the same line wire they combine to form a result ant current which is similar in many respects to that obtained by rapidly making and breaking a battery current, and I refer to operate these latter stations bythls sort of combination, as I find it gives better results in practice. To cause the o eration of these various stations now we wil refer more particularly to Fig. 3 which shows the appa- 'ratus needed at the central station 11. The line wires and Z are passed through a selective key m which has eight spring combinations, which I have lettered respectively an, Zm, on etc. so that spring combination are corresponds to block a and spring combination lm corresponds to block 7), etc. I have shown a generator'o as furnishing the alternating current, and two sets of batteries p and q grounded at 1, that is the ositive terminal or battery p and the negative terminal ofbattery q are permanently grounded. The spring combinations an, M, an, and (Zn connect either positive or negative battery current to either the line wires k or Z, and alter-- nating current from the generator 0 to the opposite line wire, thus to select stations a, b, c, and (I when either of their corresponding spring combinations in the/key m is operated. I have shown an interrupter s which is capable-of supplying the positive pulsating current or negative pulsating current from the batteries p q, and which by suitable spring combinations en, fa, ya and im conositive or negative pulsating current to either line wires k or Z. Condensers t are shown to facilitate the operation of the interrupter. The battery it operates the interrupter relay v. It will thus be seenthat by the use of my improved system practical means are provided whereby at the central station or despatchers office i a series of buttons corresponding to eight difierent s ring combinations can be operone of eight difierent blocks, thus to constitute any block a danger zone if trains are not operating according to schedule or for other reasons.

My improved system permits LlUPliGWLiUZK of apparatus to prevent failures. As before state the number of separate signals in each block will depend to a large extent, upon the condition of the right-of-way.

While I have herein shown and particu larly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement the control of said signal controlling devices and switching means whereby an operative impulse of the signal controlling device will -manipulate the signal in one direction and a succeeding operative impulse will manipulate said signal in a different manner.

2. In a railway signaling system a signal sending station, a plurality o l signal controllin devices distributed along a railroad rig t-of-way, switching mechanism at the signal sendmg station and current supplying means for furnishing currents of different electrical character to o erate independently of each other said signa controlling devices, signals under the control of said signal controlling devices, and means whereby a signal when operated will simultaneously operate an additional signal.

3. In a railway signaling system a signal sending station,,-a plurality of signal control lin devices distributed along a railroad right-of-way, switching mechanism at the signal sending station and current sup )lying means for furnishing currents of ditl'erent electrical character to o )erate independently of each other said signa controlling devices, a plurality of signals under the control of said signal controlling devices, and switching means whereby an operative impulse of the signal controlling device will give a certain indication by a plurality of signals, and a succeeding operative impulse will give a different indication by said last aforesaid signals.

4. A railway signaling system com rising a signal sending station, a lurality o signal controlling devices distrimted along the right-of-way, means at the sending station for supplying current of different electrical character to operate said signal controlling devices independently of each other, and signals to guide in the operation of trains under the control of said signal controlling devices.

5. A railway signaling system comprising a signal sending station, a plurality oi signal controlling devices distributed V along the right-of-way, means at the sending station for supplying currents of different electrical character to operate said signal controlling devices independently of each other, and a plurality of simultaneously operatin signals each under the control of some or al of said signal operating devices.

6. In a railway signaling system a signal sending station, a plurality of signals to guide in the operation of trains distributed along the right-of-way, electro magnetic means for governing the operation of said signals, and means at the signal sending station comprising switch contacts and currents of difierent electrical character for o erating the electro magnetic means indepen ently of each other, to selectively operate the signals.

7. In a railway signaling system a signal sending station, a plurality of signals to guide in the operation of trains distributed along the right-of-way, electro magnetic means for governing the operation of said signals, relays forming part of said electro magnetic means, and means at the signal sending station comprising switch contacts and currents of diflerent electrical character for selectively operating the electro magnetic means to selectively operate the signals.

8. In a railway signaling system a signal sending station, a plurality of signals to guide in the operation of trains distributed along the right-of-way, electro magnetic means for governing the operation of each of said signals, duplicate and simultaneously operating relays forming part of said electro magnetic means, and means at the signal sendings'tation comprising switch contacts and currents of diflerent electrical character for selectively operating the electro magnetic means to selectively'o erate the signals.

9. A rail way signaling system comprising a central stafion and a railroad right-of-way divided into blocks, visual signals in said blocks, all of the signals in one of said blocks operating simultaneously, electro ma netic means for controlling the operation 0 said signals, and means com rising current su plying devices for furnis ling currents of diferent electrical character at thesignal sending station for operating the electro magnetic means independently of each other to selectively operate the signals.

10. In a selective signaling system for railways comprising a signal sending station, signal blocks into which said railroad right-ofway is divided, a signal provided in each of said blocks, electro magnetic devices for controlling the operation of said signals, means at the signal sending station for furnishing .difi'erentcharacters of current, and switching means to operate said electro magnetic devices independently of each other.

11. In a selective signaling system for railways comprising a signal sending station,

eeaeoe signal blocks into which the railroad rightof- Way is divided, a signal provided in each of said blocks, means whereby additional sig nals in the same block may be 0 erated simultaneously with the operation oi either of the aforesaid signals, electro magnetic devices for controlling the operation of said signals, means at the signal sending station for furnishing difierent characters of current, and switching means to operate said electro magnetic devices independently of-each other.

12. A selective signaling system for railways com rising a signal sending I station, signal bloclis into which the railway right-ofway is divided, a master signal in each block, electro magnetic means for operating said master signal, switching devices a current supplying means for furnishing currents of different electrical character at the sending station for operating the electro magnetic devices independently of each other, and controlling devices associated with the aforesaid master signals whereby additional signals may be 0 erated in unison with the master signal in t e same block. I

13. In a railway signaling system a signal sending station, a plurality of signals to guide in the o eration of trains distributed along the rig t-of-way, electro magnetic means for governing the operation of said signals, and means at the signal sending station including current supplying devices for furnishing currents of diflerent electrical character, to operate independently of each other the electro magnetic means thereby to cause a selective operation of the said signals.

14. In a railway signaling system a signal sending station, a plurality of signals to ,guide in the operation of trains distributed along the right-of-way, an electromagnetic device for each signal to govern its 0 eration, and operating means at the signa sending station comprising current supplying means for furnishing currents of different electrical character to operate selectively the desired electro magnetic device, thus to selectively operate the signals.

15. In a railway signaling system a signal sending station, a plurality of signal controlling devices distributed along a right-of-way, switching mechanism at the signal sending station, a current su plying device for generating currents of di erent electrical character for selectively operating a desired signal controlling device, signals under the control of said signal controlling devices, and switching means whereby an operative impulse of the signal controlling device will manipulate the signal in one direction, and a succeeding operative impulse will manipulate said signal in a difierent manner.

16. In a railway signaling system a signal sending station, a plurality of signals to guide in the operation of trains distributed along the right-of-way, a relay for each signal to St I govern its operation, and manually operated switching instrumentalities controlling current supplying devices for furnishing currents of difi'erent electrical character to selectively operate any desired relay, thereby to selectively 0 erate the signals.

17. n a railway signaling system a signal sending station, a plurality of signals to guide in the operation of trains distributed along the right-of-way, a relay for each signal to govern its operation, a local power suppl to operate the signal when operative ini u ses of said relay are effected, and manua y operated switching instrumentalities including current supplying devices for furnishing currents of difierent electrical character to selectively operate any desired relay, thereb to selectively operate the signals.

18. n a railway signaling system, a signal sending station, a plurality of signals to guide in the operation of trains distributed along the right-of-way, a signal controlling device for each signal to govern its operation, and instrumentalities including current supplying devices for furnishing currents of diferent electrical character to electrically operate said signal controlling devices inde pendently of each other to selectively set and release said signals.

19. In a railway signaling system, a signal sending. station, a plurality of signals to guide in the operation of trains distributed along the right-of-way, a signal controlling device for each si nal to govern its operation, local power sup lying apparatus to o erate said signals, andhnstrumentalities inc uding current supplying devices for furnishing currents of different electrical character to selectively operate said signal controlling devices inde endently of each other to select ively set and release said signals.

20. A railway signaling system corn risin a signal sending station, a lurality o signa controlling devices distributed along the right-of-way, switching means at the sending station for controllin the supply of currents of different electrica character to operatesaid signal controlling devices independently of each other, whereby to set or restore any desired signal, and signals to guide in the operation of trains under the control of said signal controlling devices.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this sixth day of April, A. D. 1907.

MAX W. ZABEL. Witnesses:

F. B. Boron, W. L. DOLMAN. 

